


Stay

by beautifulmidnight



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-02
Updated: 2012-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-02 22:20:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/373967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulmidnight/pseuds/beautifulmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire advises Leon to go back home for a visit. Leon agrees, but isn't entirely convinced it's a good idea. He has other important matters on his mind...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay

It had been too long since he had been home. So much time had passed, and he wondered if it was even worth going back. What was the phrase? "You can never go home again"? Perhaps it was true. He'd soon find out, wouldn't he…

He felt the weight on the bike shift slightly. The female companion who sat behind him, clutching him close, had adjusted herself. He pictured her copper hair flying behind her like a flag in the wind, her gray-blue eyes wide with zest and exuberance, a relaxed smile on her face. Of course, the helmet kept her beauty hidden and that was a shame, but because she was covered, it made the moment when she finally took it off that much more enjoyable, like opening a present on Christmas.

She had convinced him to come home. She told him it would be good for him to reconnect with his family and friends because it was a part of him that wasn't tainted by Umbrella. Maybe she was right, but he doubted it. He couldn't wrap his mind around anything normal anymore. He didn't feel comfortable with people that didn't know everything he had been through, which was a sad thing to think about where your own family was concerned. But it was pointless to argue with her.

Nobody argues with a Redfield.

At that moment, she patted him twice, which was the code to slow down and stop for a rest. It was perfect timing – they had just entered his hometown and he could see an empty spot to park in. Taking a breather would be good before they rolled up to his family's house. He needed to mentally prepare himself, to force himself to be the person he used to be before he knocked on the door.

After parking, he stood and took off his helmet. Claire had already removed hers, and her beautiful hair stuck to her cheeks and neck in sweaty tendrils. Her signature ponytail and bangs were now free, and she ran her fingers through her tresses to undo the tangles that had formed. She stretched and gazed at him tiredly.

"How much longer?" she asked with a yawn. "Feels like we've been driving forever."

"Not much longer. Maybe twenty minutes more. We should get there before dark," he answered.

"We'll never get there before it rains," she said, squinting up at the setting sun.

"There's not a cloud in the sky. It's not going to rain," he frowned.

"I can smell it. Just wait. I give it three minutes, five at the most. Then it's going to pour."

Leon shook his head. He sat down on the bike, and she half-smiled at him. She reached out and started gently straightening his hair, smoothing the strands that were hanging in front of his face, and pushing them off to the side. He found himself smiling a little. It was one of many considerate gestures that made him love her so much. Too bad she wasn't aware of it. She grinned.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied.

"Liar," she chuckled. Her expression turned serious. "But really, what's up with you? You've been more quiet than normal ever since we left."

He sighed and looked into her eyes. She was very concerned, and he debated on whether or not to tell her what he was feeling. He must have taken too long to answer because she shook her head.

"Never mind, Leon. You don't have to tell me anything."

Leon cursed inwardly. If only she knew…he wanted to tell her everything that was going on inside his head. How unsure he was about seeing his family again, how afraid he was that wouldn't fit back in with his old life, how much he hated Umbrella for putting him in this position and for making the lives of so many innocent people miserable, and, of course, his feelings for her. What was stopping him from confiding in her? She was his best friend in the whole world now; of the female variety anyway. She was trustworthy, pretty, funny, and extremely capable.

After dealing with Angela Miller and Ashley Graham, capable was exactly what he needed. It wasn't that he was opposed to being the hero, the knight in shining armor to a damsel in distress. It was just nice every once in awhile to be able to hand a woman a gun and have her be able take care of herself. Claire proved time and time again just how tough she was. The thought of her at Harvardville airport, running up and down the halls with only an umbrella to defend herself amused him greatly. Any other woman he knew, with the exception of Ada of course, would be cowering in a corner, waiting for help.

But not Claire. Never Claire. She wasn't the cowering type.

Leon was pulled out of his thoughts by a rumble of thunder. Since he had started thinking to himself, clouds had rolled in and the sky had turned ominous. It had darkened considerably, and the coming storm blotted out the last bits of sunshine that were streaking across the sky.

"You were right," he murmured.

She nodded. "Told you. Now what?"

Leon noticed the alley they were parked in front of was partially covered. Maybe if they pushed the bike in the alley, they could wait out the storm. He told Claire his idea, and the two began moving the bike underneath a small overhang. They both sat down on the bike again, facing each other. There wasn't much shelter from the storm, but it would do.

Claire wrapped her legs around his waist and when he shot her a questioning look, she merely giggled and shrugged.

"A girl's gotta stretch her legs!" she winked.

Without thinking, he snaked an arm around her, planting his hand on her back while his other hand rested lightly on her knee. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. It was a bold move on his part. He wasn't normally so forward with the ladies… But he wanted to touch her. He was surprised and relieved when she broke into a smile and cupped his face within her hands.

The rain started to fall much heavier. It came upon them slowly at first, shortly before turning into heavy sheets that created mist. Leon wasn't paying attention to the weather, though. He was paying attention to the pretty redhead who held his face in her delicate hands.

He looked downward to avoid her stare as her fingertips traced his lips.

"Why are you doing that?" he blurted. Not that he minded.

A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, turning the scenery around them a purplish-blue. Her pale skin looked luminescent in the bright edges of the electricity.

"I—I don't know. You seem so sad, Leon. And, well, usually if I touch you I see you smile. You think I don't see you but I do. I'm worried about you…"

The rain continued to fall, and in order to be heard above the thunder and torrent of rain, he would either have to shout, or move closer to her and speak almost in her face. He opted for the latter. He leaned in, which was a little difficult for him to do with her holding his face, but he wanted to move in close enough so she could hear him. His forehead touched hers, and when their skin met, he warmed on the inside.

"Don't worry, Claire. I'm fine."

"Okay."

They sat there, each of them staring into the other's eyes, not wanting to look away. Claire still held his face between her hands, and Leon wondered how long she was going to continue to do so. It was now completely dark out, and save for the rain, it was absolutely silent. It was as if they were the last two people on earth.

"Claire?" he began.

"Yes Leon?"

"What am I doing?"

She dropped her hands, toying with them in her lap. "You're talking to me right now, waiting for the storm to pass," she smiled slightly.

He shook his head. "No, I mean why am I coming to see my family and friends? I've been away for years. I barely know these people. They'll barely know me. Shit Claire, I was blonde when they knew me…now look!" he ran a hand through his hair for emphasis. "My life is not the way I wanted it to be! I—Damn it, I wasn't supposed to be a government agent. I was supposed to be a cop, handing out speeding tickets and busting drug dealers and going home to a wife and 2.5 kids and have a house with a white picket fence and—" he stopped talking when he saw her smile slowly fade.

She looked away and then turned back to him, the smile back in place. "Keep talking, Leon. I'm sorry."

"No…it's okay. I shouldn't burden people with my problems. Let's just sit here until the storm passes."

"NO Leon," she said it in such a frustrated tone he had to be sure it came from Claire. She never sounded angry with him, even when she was in pain. "You can talk about your problems. You're in as much pain as anyone else who is in our circle of friends. I only want you to understand that it's hard for me to listen sometimes…because I've lived through some of what you've lived through and it's hard not to remember all the horrific shit that comes with those memories. We both wanted the same things and those things got taken away from us."

He felt some of the tension leave his body and he relaxed. Unburdening himself felt good. "I don't think coming home is going to make me feel better."

"It might," she shrugged. She put her arms around him and gave him a comforting squeeze. "But honestly Leon, this visit is more for them than you. These people care about you. They've probably been wondering what the hell happened to you. I know in the years that passed between us after Raccoon, I was worried like hell over you every day. When I saw you at Harvardville, it was like…like a breath of fresh air."

Again, he said nothing.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Leon, its okay to be afraid of not fitting in. I couldn't return to my old college life. Sometimes we're not meant to fit back into the puzzle we originated from."

"What?"

"People are like puzzle pieces…we're all cut from the same board, but we're all different. We might fit into one puzzle for a few years, but as time goes on we get cut into a different shape and fit in on a different one, and we can no longer be a part of the original puzzle, no matter how much we want to mash ourselves back in."

He chuckled at her weird analogy, but he knew she was right. It was a bit confusing, her example, but he understood the gist of it. Umbrella had cut him into such a weird shape he couldn't interlock with anyone, even those he really wanted to fit with. The only one he felt even remotely comfortable with was…

"Look Leon, what happened to us wasn't fair. It wasn't right. We all had dreams. Think of Sherry, of Angela, of Ada…look what Umbrella did to them too. I don't have to tell you about Chris and Jill. We're just a few of the hundreds of peoples' lives Umbrella ruined. But we survived, and we have to carry on. When my parents died I thought my world was going to crash in on itself, but I knew I had to keep going, because that's the only choice there is."

"You're right," he nodded.

"And besides, we've got each other now, huh? We're best friends and everything, right?"

Not knowing how to answer that, he merely nodded. He turned away and stared at the falling rain, wondering how the hell he had gotten himself into this situation. Before he spiraled into that thought on a deeper level, he turned to talk to his traveling companion.

"Claire?"  
She had gotten off the bike and had started to walk away.

"Claire, wait!" he pulled her back down on the bike. "Where the hell were you going?"

"It looked like you wanted to be alone," she said simply.

Alone? Was she kidding? "That's the last thing I want, Claire." He put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to face him.

"Well…What do you want Leon?" she asked, her voice cracking.

Her eyes were filling with tears, something he hadn't seen since Harvardville when he comforted her in the tent. Her lower lip trembled and she was desperately trying to keep herself still.

Dare he tell her what he wanted? How he was feeling? Should he tell her what he had been thinking, how it was so much more than about him coming home?

"Tell me… If you want me to go, I'll go," she sniffed.

He really didn't understand women. How the hell did she get that idea?

"Claire," he looked deep into her eyes. "Please stay."

"I'm tired Leon…I don't care if it's raining, I'm going to walk to a restaurant and call Chris and go home," she sounded so dejected it broke his heart. "You clearly want to be alone. I don't know why you bothered to ask me to come along."

The conversation had turned into a train wreck and Leon didn't know how to stop it. The last thing he wanted was an angry Chris Redfield on his hands. Though he didn't really have a problem with Claire's older brother, he didn't exactly like interacting with him, either. "Please stay with me Claire," he pleaded. "Please."

He wanted her to stay for so many reasons. She was good company, she was his friend, she made him smile, she was beautiful, and he loved her.

"All right," she whispered. "I will stay."

"Thank-you."

Their faces were now inches apart again, and Leon had the sudden urge to kiss her. Before he could stop himself, his lips pressed against hers, and he was pleasantly surprised at how warm and soft they were. He could smell rose oil on her skin, a scent he hadn't expected a girl like Claire Redfield would wear. It was intoxicating; he knew he would never be able to walk by roses without thinking of her. He didn't care that this kiss seemed like A Very Bad Idea because he was enjoying the moment. Claire held back for a minute, but then surrendered to him and kissed back, embracing him tightly with her whole body.

Every nerve ending in Leon's body felt as if it were on fire. His mind blazed with images of Claire's body free of her clothes, her lying across a bedside, with nothing shielding her from his view. Her hair would be down, her eyes closed, she'd be writhing beneath him and…

He pulled away, severing those thoughts immediately. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he full of self-pity one moment and wanting to ravage Claire Redfield the next? This was not a good day. His usually calm emotions were getting out of control way too fast.

Claire was breathing heavy, her eyes wide in shock. "What—what was that about?"

Leon sighed before beginning to speak. "A lot of things in my life don't make much sense. Things haven't been right since Raccoon. My life has been hell from that point on. And you are right…Umbrella hasn't just ruined my life. They've ruined a lot of peoples'. I thought I was over what they had done to me…but coming home proved that I wasn't. I'm not quite sure how to handle this. But…"

"But?" she prompted.

"But it can't be all too terrible, because I met you. I know I can get through anything if you're with me, if you're my friend or…something more."

"Oh, stop," she blushed.

"It's true."

"You realized all this in the past half-hour?" she teased.

"No," he chuckled. "I've known it all along, I think…but it's the first time I'm admitting it," he brushed his lips against her forehead.

"I must confess Leon, I feel like…this…this us thing, is right. I'd be lying if I said I haven't come to the same conclusion as you."

It had finally stopped raining, and Leon thought it appropriate. A light in the alley flicked on and someone opened a door to discard some trash. Upon seeing the couple, the person shook their head and hurriedly slammed the door, muttering, "Damn kids, and get a room for God's sake."

"Kid?" Leon couldn't help but smirk. He hadn't been called a kid in forever. He certainly didn't look like one.

"Did you hear that? He told us to get a room," Claire giggled.

He cleared his throat. "So…do you want to?"

She stopped giggling and sat in his lap, draping an arm across his shoulders. She pushed aside the bit of hair that shielded his grey eyes from her and she grinned.

"Why Mr. Kennedy, we haven't had three dates yet."

He hugged her close. "Think you can make an exception for someone that's saved your life, not just once but twice?"

"Hmmmm, I don't know," she pretended to think.

"Well Ms. Redfield, I believe you've left me no choice. I'm going to have to arrest you."

"Oh? And what's the charge Special Agent Kennedy?"

"For being so perfect it's illegal."

She snickered, clearly amused by his lame pick-up line. "Come on Leon; let's go see your family. We'll discuss sleeping arrangements after the visit."

"Fair enough," he agreed, handing her a helmet.

Whoever said that you could never go home again was wrong, Leon mused. You can go anywhere, including back home, as long as you had someone with you that loved you along for the journey.


End file.
